...does indeed post here from time to time when he takes a break from his sterling work on various other message boards trying to get the odious George Lamb off 6 Music.

And don't be too harsh on 6 Music for borrowing the shuffle game - especially as it was started on Gideon Coe's show, one of the few remaining beacons of light on a once great station - it provides those of us fighting the good fight amidst the general idiocy some light relief.

Who was Onan, and what did he hold in his fist?
(Clue: seed is spilt on the ground.)

Steve - I wasn't aware of the Gideon Coe link, so I shall rein in my scorn. Thanks for pointing that out.

Retropath - Genesis 38,8-10: "And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also."

So I'm guessing that things got a bit messy when he went to look after his brother's wife's budgie and that God got a bit cross about it all. Would that be right?

(Is this passage really a reference to masturbation? It reads more like coitus interruptus to me...)

one of those "everything you know is wrong" moments

Playing the role of Suzy Dent in Dictionary Corner (and, yes, I'm slightly ashamed that I remembered her name without the help of Wikipedia), I looked onanism up in my trusty Concise OED and it is defined thus: "n. masturbation; coitus interruptus". So it means either. That King James' Bible translation must be a bit dodgy. Always preferred the Good News version myself...

Anyway, at least you can now begin the process of rebuilding your shattered life Riccardo, safe in the knowledge that you were (partly) right!